I had high hopes for Men in Black: International. For the first time in this film series’ history, we have a different director contributing their vision to a Men in Black movie. Instead of the usual Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black 1, 2 and 3), we have F. Gary Gray (Friday, The Italian Job, Law […]
Faust Film Review
The Deal with the Devil motif is a cultural staple that has endured for centuries. We’ve seen this story play out in multiple ways across multiple mediums such as books, music, paintings and films, of course. The Picture of Dorian Grey, Rosemary’s Baby, Phantom of the Paradise, Bedazzled and even Disney movies like The Little […]
Pokemon Detective Pikachu Film Review
I felt a bit awkward seeing Pokémon Detective Pikachu in the theater. It’s the first piece of Pokémon material that I’ve willingly seen since I parted ways with it in 2007. Don’t get me wrong, I was obsessed with Pokémon just like every other gullible kid in America. We all danced with the Devil in […]
Laura – Film Review
The moment that Laura began and I was listening to the opening narration, I immediately realized that this movie was going to be different from the typical film noir style. “I shall never forget the weekend Laura died. A silver sun burned through the sky like a huge magnifying glass. It was the hottest Sunday […]
Return to Oz – Film Review
The Wizard of Oz, the classic 1939 adaptation of the children’s novel by L. Frank Baum, is often cited as one of the greatest films ever made. I don’t disagree. It’s colorful, has memorable characters, terrific casting, wonderful music, fantastic makeup and sets and immortal words of wisdom that manage to be both hokey and […]
Film Review: Rat Pfink a Boo Boo (1966)
I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “Why Blake, you look incredibly handsome and buff today, as if your face and abs were blessed by the Gods themselves.” Thank you, my good readers. I appreciate all of your compliments relating to my perfect Chris Hemsworthian form, and I expect to hear more on the morrow. […]
Cutthroat Island: Film Review
Whatever happened to pirate movies? There was a time when pirate movies were everywhere. From the 20’s to the 50’s, we got gems like The Black Pirate, Captain Blood, The Black Swan and The Sea Hound. Not only have these films been well received, but there was a lot of money, star power and effort […]
Alita Battle Angel: Film Review
Alita: Battle Angel is a fascinating beast to dissect, especially concerning its production hell history. The manga that the film was based on was introduced to James Cameron by Guillermo Del Toro in 2000. Cameron became enamored with it and tried to get the motor running on adapting it into a movie. But thanks to […]
Film Review: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
This may sound especially sacrilegious coming from me, a lifelong Spider-Man fan, but hear me out. Spider-Man has never been perfect, especially in terms of cinematic portrayals. I have a soft spot for the Sam Raimi trilogy, and I thought his recent addition into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Captain America: Civil War and Spider-Man: […]
Film Review: Streets of Fire
There’s been an interesting development in pop culture in recent years, most notably how a lot of content has been clearly inspired by 80’s culture. You only have to look at TV shows like Stranger Things, movies like Atomic Blonde or It Follows or even an entire modern musical genre like synthwave, which takes direct […]
Film Review: King Kong vs. Godzilla
The popularity and evolution of Godzilla films in the 60’s and 70’s is an interesting genre to learn about, especially concerning its demographic. The original Godzilla, released in 1954, was metaphorical of the dangers of nuclear weaponry, and was a harsh but fantastical reminder of what the Japanese people had to go through during the […]
Film Review: Mary Poppins Returns
To say that Mary Poppins had a profound influence on me as a kid isn’t exactly the most original statement in the world. I’m fairly certain it’s illegal in some parts of the world to not like Mary Poppins. With its infectiously catchy songs, lovable leads, boundless energy, fantastic choreography and its timeless and powerful […]